RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

This is interesting, I have heard of it many times but never whitnessed it in the 30+ recovery operations I have participated in. I lost one deer when he was swept away in a river, but I think he was just trying to cross it judging by his previous behavior and our idiocy in the way we tracked him. Not saying it doesnt happen because I beleive you guys, I just have never whitnessed it. Badly hit deer often move down hill tho, and since water is generally down hill, I guess in a way I see them moving toward water...

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

My own personal experiences seems to be about 50/50. If I lose a blood trail or cant find one etc, I awlays scour the creek, pond or whatever water source is nearby.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

Hypovolemic shock does not cause thirst as a primary response to blood loss and definitely not in the initial phase. The primary initial response is stimulation of baroreceptors in the carotid bifurcation region which in turn causes the stimulation of of alpha1 and beta receptors peripherally and in the heart as well as the release of vasopressin (ADH) causing increased vasoconstriction, elevated heart rate, and increased cardiac contraction.

Thirst is not a response to hypovolemic schock, when an animal or human for that matter is in hypovolemic shock without intervention they will die within minutes. Their bodies do not have time to drink water and absorb it through their digestive tract into their bloodstream before they will likely die.

Now if a deer has a slow, non-fatal bleed, over a period of a half hour or more, their hypothalamus (which also controls food intake, body weight and heat regulation among other functions) will cause thirst, but this is not an initial response to blood loss, nor is it a response to hypovolemic shock.

So basically, only if a deer has a non-fatal wound or a slow bleed that will not kill them in the coming half hour or more will they begin to have any sensation of thirst.

If you'd like I can give you citations for this info from my vertebrate biology, vertebrate anatomy and physiology as well as my med school textbooks.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

If you dont mind, what university was this research conducted? Dr. Howard Whiteman (Murray State University) and I actually tested hypovolemic shock in rats last fall. I would like to see some of your work on the subject if you dont mind.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

I dont know if they always go to water, but I know my buck that I got in 2006 went right to the river, and I found him the next day on the other side of the rive, still in the water.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

I have beenfortunateenough to be well up in the triple digits in the "recovery department". If I am totally objective I would have to say that the deer purposefully seeking water theoryafter being shot doesn't hold much water :D.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but way more often then notin my experience it has been a non-factor; even when water was available and the animal was alive a number of hours after impact.

Often times for obvious reasonsthe best cover with be along a river bed, creek or pond. My feeling is that the deer are seeking cover more than water, but because of the proximity of the water source to where we find the animal we conclude they were seeking water.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

So you're saying that rats when facing a life threatening blood loss ran to their water bottle?

What exactly was the research you were doing and what were the results?

I haven't done any research in the topic myself, my knowledge comes from multiple textbooks both relating to mammal and specifically human physiology.



Has anyone actually seen an injured deer go to water and drink? I've heard plenty of stories of deer getting into the water such as the pics on here of the dead deer floating in the water, but how many have ever seen a deer wade into the water to drink vs stand on the edge and drink?


I've heard of Dr. Whiteman, isn't his area of expertise and study primarily amphibians?

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

Through the United Blood Tracking organization I have privi to alot of information, and although when hit correctly, deer never have time to seek water but I would never rule it out. I hear story after story of animals found IN water. Of course when the blood tracking dogs are called in, the hunter usually couldn't find the animal (bad hit) (gives the deer time) and the dogs do find them, usually in or around water sources. Don't rule it out.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

the first buck i ever shot, was hit by a gun hunter about 2 miles away. It walked all the way to where i was, which was near a stream with a huge bloddy mess under its stomach, its organs were basiclly dragging on the ground ( deer are STRONG!). Not sure if it was going to drink because ishot before it got to the water, but it was going that direction.

RE: do deer really go to water when they are wounded?
 

i have had3 die in water before